Detonating-fuse.



I. P. MADDEN W. L. LUKENS.

DETNATING FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1916'.

" Patnd Deeh 18. 1917.

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the plunger and through the base portion of a plug 31 at the forward end which su ports a steel needle or firing pin 32. This plurir is screw-threaded into the forward end of tlie plunger and serves to hold in position black powder delay-pellets '33, which are located .in an enlarged portion of the flame conduit immediately behind it. v

A soft lead shock absorbing pad 50 is between the enlarged portion of the plunger and the partition 18 to preventexeessive jar to the fulminate detonating charge on the firing of the projectile.

The liring pin 32 is alined with an opening 34 in the screw collar 17 and is adapted .to be propelled by tsinertia through this xning to fire the primer 35, when the protiles (light is arrested, the plunger having e energy to drive the pin through the er n"1r,liateobturator disk 16.

The. primer 35 is mounted in an opening lo in a centrifugal shutter 37 pivoted on a pin 38 located tonne side of the axis ofthe projectile. A spring 39 pressing upon a projecting 'portinl of vthe shutter normally maintains itin a central position witlithe primer at one sidev and out of the line of action of the firing pin. This is the normal position of ythe shutter and only when the projectile is spinning rapidly afterhaving been .tired from they gun does the shutter more, under the action of centrifugal force, about its pivot 38 to bring the primer' into alinement with the firing pin. I

Premature explosion of the -primer when in its normal position .cannot ignite the dctonating. charge, theexpand ng gases being receivedwithin an expan ion chamber 40, in the fuse body and prevented from passing rearwardly in. the casing by the ob turator disk 16. The primer ishcld within the shutter by'a removable screw threaded plug 41.

and the partition ,18 is located the centrifugal cage 42, which normally abuts against and prevents the movement of the plunger 23. The rapid 'spinning of the shell throws the segments of the cage outwardly against the wall of the casing, thusclisengaging the plunger and arming it. 'When thus disengaged a comparatively light spring 43, which bears against the In the vvharnber between the screw disk 17V plunger and collar the forward travel of the tained within the pellets 33 and throu h the fiane conduit 30 to the fulmi nate etonator c The intermediateeh'amberl.isuoecuped by a charge 44 called'the charge, suitably retained within an annularl paper or brass casingan'd insulated from the two 'partitions 18 and 19 by asbestos washers 45 and 46. l

The booster char c is'the only charge. conuse which .is able to rupture the casing upon `eiqilofding and hence the bursting charge toir, the projectile cannot be df'ztonated unless the booster ehargeis detonated. l I` Y An eccentric ring 47 is. contained within a recess 48 in the partition 19 and is loosely mounted upon the plunger as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Thisring shifts laterally after the plunger has moved forward upon' impact, under the influence of centrifugal torce and blocks the return'of the plunger to original position.'

o prevent the rea-1' end of the plungi-sr from whipping vduring rotation, a sheet metal support 49 is crimped into the. expansion chamber liner 20 and surrounds and supports the longer.l

When the Eliminate detonator charge-25 is in its safe position, as shown in Fig. 1, a premature explosion .is dissipated in the expansion chambeswithin liner 20, the wall.

`being strong enough vto withstand the gas pressure,y the asbestos washer LGand the brass booster charge tube dissipatiug the heat of the gases so as not to affect the booster charge. A Y

When the projectile is fired from a gun and as long as its acceleration continues the shutter 37 is pressed against the disk which is 4supported by disk 17 and tlie primer re mains in its unarmed position. As soon as acceleration eea-scsi the shutter is moved by centrifugal force'to bring the primer into firing'position-'andat-the same time to out aff Hash port into the expansion cham-- -er llt -. The centrifu'gal lllthen expands and I the plunger is rleausedthere'from, the retain-4 ing spring 43 keepin'g--thefplunger from the primer. 0n im-pact'the plunger moves for ward, compress'rn'gthe' spring 43 and eaus ing' the firing ,pini or needle to pierce and explode the primer.`

he flash ignijs the black powder delay e flash is conveyed. then' arge 25, the amount of delay being regulated by the construction of the pellets. I 1 f The' fulminate 'detonator charge,V owing to plunger, has been carried into the center of the booster charge,

thus detonating the booster charge, which in turn rupturesthe fuse casing and detonates the bursting charge of the. projectile.

By this arrangement the maximum degree of safety is realized for the handlers of the projectiles. Il for any reason either the primer or the detonator charge is exploded, as when the projectile is severely;T jarrcd, or both the primer and the detonator are exploded, the gases are dissipated in the respective cxjgiansio'i chambers, the booster charge remaining unaffected.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the primer 5l is seated centrallj7 in fuse body 1l and protected by a centrifugal shutter 52, pivoted at 53 and held in normal or protecting position by a spring 54. In all o-ther features the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be identical.' with that shown in the preceding iigures, and the operation of liioth forms of the-'invention :is the same excepting that in. the rst form. the primer is moved into aline-ment with the firing pin on tiring, whereasin the s econd form the primer is `always in alinement -with the firing pin and is exposed on firing by the shrutterA It is obvious that various modifications may be made in our arrangement of part-s and that other Ways of forming the gastight casing may be employed and hence we `do not limit' ourselves to the exact form or `details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Let-` ters-Patent is7 1. In a. percussion fuse for projectiles, a fuse casmg, aprimer i'ormallj spring held 1n a safe position., centrifugal means actu-V ated by the spinningl ofthe `projectile for moving seid primer into firing position., a booster charge spaced from ysaid primer,'a i" fer having therein a flame conduit, a

li pin and a detonati'or charge secured to tl ends oi" said. plunger, automatically i1eleased means Jfor normally holding said.

- lunger against movement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the impact of the projectile to bring said tiring pin into contact with said primer and said detonato charge into juxtaposition with said booster charge.

In a `peicussion fuse for projectiles, primer, a booster charge spaced therefrom, a. plunger passing through said booster charge and having a longitudinal flame con duit therein, a firing piu and a detouutor' charge secured to the ends of' said plunger, autoniatic-alli7 released means for normally holding said plunger against movement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the p impact of the projectile to bring said firing Y piu into contact with seid primer and said detonator charge into juxtaposition with said booster charge,

3. In a percussion fuse for projectiles, a primer, a booster charge spaced therefrom, a plunger passing through the center of said booster charge and having a longitudinal llame conduit therein, a firing pin and a detonator charge secured to the ends of the plunger, the distance between the firing pin and dctonating charge being substantially equal to the distance between the primer and the booster charge, automatically released means for normally holding said plunger against movement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the impact of the projectile to bring said firing pin into contact with said primer arf said detonator charge into juxtaposition with said booster charge, and means inclosing the said elements Within. 4a gas-tight casing.

fl. In a percussion fuse 'for projectiles, a primer, a booster charge spaced therefrom, a plunger having therein a flame conduit,l said plunger having a. recess in the end thereoii, a detonating charge secured Within the recess, ay firing pin and a flash delaying device secured to the other end of the plunger, automatically released means for normally holding said plunger against movement, said plunger being adapted' to he moved upon the impact of the projectile to bring said firing pin into contact with said primer and said detonator charge into juxtaposition with. said booster charge, and means inclosing the said elements within a gas-tight casing.

5. ln a percussion. fuse for projectiles, a primer, a booster charge spaced therefrom, plunger having ltherein a llame conduit, a firing pin and a detonator charge secured to the ends of said plunger, oentrifugally released means comprising an annular mem-- her having spring arms with Weighted ends for normally holding said plunger against .iiovcznent, a light spring also tending -to hold said plunger against movement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the impact of the projectile, against the resistance of said spring, to bring said firing. piu into contact With said primer and said detonator charge into juxtaposition with said booster charge, and means inclosing the said elements Within a gas-tightcasing.

6. ln a percussion fuse for projectileswa primer, a booster charge spaced therefroml and arranged with a longitudinal passage therethrough, a plunger passing through the longitudinal passage in said booster charge,

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vcontact with said primer and i the longitudinal passage throught said booster Charge, and means inclosing said eIe-.

plunger against movement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the impact of the projectile to bring said tiring pin into said detonator charge into the bore 'of said annular booster charge casing, and means inclosing said elements Within a gas-tight casing.

8. In a percussion fuse for rojectiles, a gastight casing having a thier Walled expansion chamber at one end and a second chamber adjacent thereto and separated therefrom by a partition having an opening therein, a plunger having a Haine conduit therein and a firing pin mounted thereon, said plunger extending through said. second mentioned chamber and into said lirst mentioned chamber, a detonator charge secured to the end of said plunger' and normally held wthin said first mentioned chamber, a

primeradapted to ignite said detonator charge, 'and automatically released means for normally holding said plunger againstmovement, said plunger being adapted to be moved upon the impact of the projectile to `bring said firing pm into contact with said v'primer and said detonator charge into the chamber containing the booster charge.

9. In a percusslon fuse for projectiles, a

primer, and said plunger bring said ring pin into charge into juxtaposition With said booster charge, and means inA said explosion chamer bearing against the inner Wall thereof, supporting the end of said plunger to steady it during the Hight 'of the shell, said means comprising a light frame not materially de-Y creasing the volume of said expansion chamber,

10. In a percussion fuse for projectiles, a member having a recess therein, said recess being adapted to serve as an expansion chamber for gases, a primer, a plunger having a firing pin adaptedto fire said primer upon the impact of? the projectile, spring means for normally holding'the said primer in a safe position relative to said tiring pin and opposite said expansion chamber, automatic means for bringing said primer into firing position and away from 'said expansion chamber when the projectile is propelled from a gun, andan explosive adaptm ed te be ignited by said primer. In testimony whereof We aix our signaturesi JAMES P. MDDEN. WILLIAM L. LUKENS. 

